Political Blotter » White Househttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics
Politics in the Bay Area and beyondTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:27:34 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1Pool report from President Obama at Stanfordhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/02/13/pool-report-from-president-obama-at-stanford/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/02/13/pool-report-from-president-obama-at-stanford/#commentsFri, 13 Feb 2015 20:09:16 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28915Here are the pool reports I’ve filed today from President Obama’s visit to Stanford University for the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. Click here for our main story on the overall summit. Stanford University President John L. Hennessy began speaking at11:31 a.m. to introduce the President. Hennessy said Obama understands the challenges [...]]]>

Here are the pool reports I’ve filed today from President Obama’s visit to Stanford University for the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. Click here for our main story on the overall summit.

Stanford University President John L. Hennessy began speaking at11:31 a.m. to introduce the President. Hennessy said Obama understands the challenges of cybersecurity, as “an avid Blackberry user” and the first president to be electronically connected, he had to give that up upon taking office.

President Obama came to the podium at 11:33 a.m. to a standing ovation, with students in the balcony roaring.

The President praised the Stanford campus’ beauty. “I’ve got to admit, I kind of want to go here – I was trying to figure out why a really nice place like this is wasted on young people who don’t fully appreciate what you’ve got.” He also thanked the university for hosting this summit, and noted that members of his administration including Valerie Jarrett, Susan Rice, Penny Pritzker and others are Stanford alumni who “bleed Cardinal red.”

“This is the place that made nerd cool,” he said. “I was thinking of wearing some black-rimmed glasses with some tape in the middle, but I guess that’s not what you do anymore.”

“But, I’m not just here to enjoy myself.”

The President said the economy continues to recover, with an unprecedented streak of job creation and middle-class earnings starting to rise. “More than any other nation on earth, the United States is positioned to lead in the 21st century,” he said, and that means leading in technological innovation.

The President noted Stanford and its environs were the birthplace of Hewlett-Packard, the mouse, and the internet itself, “innovations for cloud computing, student projects here became Yahoo! and Google. Those were pretty good student projects.”
He said if all companies traceable back to Stanford formed their own nation, “you’d have one of the largest economies in the world, and a pretty good football team as well.”

“Just as we’re all connected like never before, we have to work together like never before, both to seize opportunities and to meet the challenges of this information age,” he said.

LOTS more, after the jump…

“These cyberthreats are a challenge to our national security,” as much of our critical infrastructure, financial systems, health systems and more run on linked networks, he said, citing the possibility of air-traffic control failures or widespread blackouts as examples of what could happen as a result of malicious hacking.

American companies are being targeted, their trade secrets stolen, their intellectual property “ripped off,” he said, citing the Sony Pictures data breach. And Americans do more business online than ever before.

“I want more Americans succeeding in our digital world, I want young people like you to unleash the next wave of innovation,” he said, as connectivity is expanded all across the nation. “That’s why we’re working to connect 99% of America’s students to high-speed internet… We can’t afford any digital divides.”

And small businesses across the nation need the same competitive advantages as those here in Silicon Valley, he said. That’s why he favors net neutrality.

But when people are hacked, their data stolen and their identities compromised, “a direct threat to the economic security of American families.”

The President said he has made cybersecurity a priority of his administration from the start.

“Government cannot do this alone,” as much of the infrastructure and data resides in the private sector, he said. The only way to protect it all is to have “government and industry working together, sharing information as true partners.”

The private sector doesn’t always have the resources and situational awareness to react during a cyberattack, he said.
“We’re going to have to constantly evolve,” he said, as hackers and enemies find new ways to penetrate defenses. “These attacks are getting more and more sophisticated every day,” so we have to be nimble and flexible in responding.

All this must be balanced with protecting Americans’ civil liberties and privacy, he said. “The private sector wrestles with this as well,” he said. “When people go online, we shouldn’t have to forfeit the basic privacy we’re entitled to as Americans.”

“Defending against cyberthreats… is one more reason we’re calling on Congress not to engage in partisan politics… but to make sure we’re safeguarded and that the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded,” he said.

The President said the administration will advance a consumer privacy bill of rights; has proposed the Student Digital Privacy Act; and has taken new steps to promote cybersecurity, including liability protections for companies that share information with the government on cyberthreats.

He noted the desk next to the podium, at which he said he’ll sign today’s new executive order on cybersecurity to promote information sharing and other improvements. Many companies already are on board with the new reforms, he said, while more companies are signing onto the BuySecure initiative his administration rolled out earlier.

“This summit is an example of what we need more of – all of us working together to achieve what none of us can do alone,” he said.

“Grappling with how government protects the American people from adverse events, while at the same time making sure government itself is not abusing its capabilities, is hard,” he said, calling the cyber-world “the wild, wild West” in which government is seen both as the sheriff and as a potential intruder. “And it constantly evolves because the technology so often outstrips whatever rules and structures and standards have been put in place.”

“We’re all here today because we know we’re going to have to break through some of these barriers that are holding us back if we’re going to continue to thrive,” he said, not just here in America but internationally. That’s hard because some nations don’t share our commitment to openness.

Again, this isn’t a partisan issue. “Everybody is online, and everybody is vulnerable,” the President said, calling for this and future events to generate ideas and best practices that will be useful for years to come.

“We’re only 26 years into this internet age, we’ve only just scratched the surface,” he said, and we can’t imagine the innovations coming in the next few decades.

Technological process is like building a cathedral, he said; everyone builds upon earlier work, “everything is tied to everything else.” When future historians ask who built this information age, the answer will be, “we all did, as Americans,” he said.

“That cathedral will not just be about technology, it will be about the values we’ve embedded in the architecture of this system” – privacy, community, connection, he said. “What a magnificent cathedral you have all helped to build. We want to be a part of that.”

The President moved from podium to signing desk at 12:02 p.m., using several pens to sign the executive order. “I have to do this so that everybody gets a pen – I don’t mean everybody in the audience.”

POTUS strode offstage at 12:03 p.m.

————————

After holding outside in a courtyard for a short time, pool at 12:30 p.m. was escorted into a room where the President is having a roundtable lunch with prominent business leaders; spray lasted only about a minute before we were escorted out again.

Seated immediately to the President’s right were Renee James of Intel Corp., and beyond her, Bernard J. Tyson of Kaiser Permanente. Immediately to the President’s left were Stanford President John Hennessy, and beyond him, Apple CEO Tim Cook.

At about 2:25 p.m., the pool once again was walked across the empty auditorium’s stage to a back room in which President Obama was having a roundtable with 12-15 Stanford students; reporters and photographers were admitted only for a one-minute photo spray. Sitting immediately to the President’s left were students Vicki Niu, and beyond her, Rollins Stallworth. Sitting immediately to the President’s right was Taylor Grossman.

After that, WH traveling pool headed out, presumably heading for landing zone to catch choppers back to San Francisco; your local pooler is over and out.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/02/13/pool-report-from-president-obama-at-stanford/feed/2New bill would bar drones over private propertyhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/28/new-bill-would-bar-drones-over-private-property/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/28/new-bill-would-bar-drones-over-private-property/#commentsWed, 28 Jan 2015 18:38:14 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28732Drone aircraft would be prohibited from trespassing over private property in California, under a bill introduced this week. SB 142 by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, would clarify the state’s existing language on trespassing – which forbids people from entering someone’s private property, and from taking photos or recordings there – to specify that [...]]]>

Drone aircraft would be prohibited from trespassing over private property in California, under a bill introduced this week.

SB 142 by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, would clarify the state’s existing language on trespassing – which forbids people from entering someone’s private property, and from taking photos or recordings there – to specify that it also applies to remotely operated aerial vehicles.

“Drones have a lot of potentially useful and extremely innovative uses. But invading our privacy and property without permission shouldn’t be among them. When we’re in our backyards, with our families, we have an expectation that we have a right to privacy,” Jackson said in a news release. “This bill would extend these long-established definitions of trespassing and privacy, and bring them into the 21st century, by applying them also to drones.”

The bill wouldn’t affect drone use in public areas or in airspace above about 400 feet, which is under federal regulation. Jackson introduced her bill Monday, hours after a drone crashed on the White House lawn.

Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose, introduced a bill in December that would require warrants for human surveillance collected by airborne drones; destruction of drone-collected data within one year; and limits on sharing that data. Law enforcement agencies wouldn’t have to get a warrant before using a drone in response to exigent circumstances, traffic accidents, fires, environmental disasters, and searching for illegal marijuana grows in wilderness areas. Gov. Jerry Brown in September vetoed another bill on this subject.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/28/new-bill-would-bar-drones-over-private-property/feed/2Hannah-Beth JacksonJeb Bush to address car dealers Friday in SFhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/21/jeb-bush-to-address-car-dealers-friday-in-sf/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/21/jeb-bush-to-address-car-dealers-friday-in-sf/#commentsWed, 21 Jan 2015 23:01:09 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28698As he “actively explores” a 2016 presidential run, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be in San Francisco on Friday to give a convention keynote speech. Bush will address the National Automobile Dealers Association’s convention and expo at the Moscone Center late Friday afternoon. Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno will address the convention Saturday. [...]]]>

As he “actively explores” a 2016 presidential run, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be in San Francisco on Friday to give a convention keynote speech.

“Jeb Bush is a visionary leader and successful governor,” said 2014 NADA Chairman Forrest McConnell. “We are delighted to have him keynote NADA’s convention this year, and we hope to learn a bit more about his future ambitions.”

Bush, the son of former President George H.W. Bush and younger brother of former President George W. Bush, was Florida’s governor from 1999 to 2007. He announced in December that he’s considering a presidential run, and has been hiring staff and meeting with contributors in recent weeks.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released Tuesday found Bush lags in popularity behind 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who announced this month that he’s considering a third run for the White House. Bush’s numbers have fallen since his own December announcement; 37 percent of Republicans now view him positively, down from 44 percent in November, the poll found.

Friday’s address is expected to be among his last paid speeches before he shifts more fully into potential-candidate mode; he’s scheduled to give a policy speech at the Detroit Economic Club early next month.

NADA represents nearly 16,000 new-car and new-truck dealerships with 32,500 franchises, both domestic and international. The group says its convention and expo, expected to draw more than 23,000 attendees, “is the automotive industry event of the year and the world’s largest international gathering place for franchised new-vehicle dealers.” Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who many believe will be a Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, spoke at NADA’s convention last year in New Orleans.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/21/jeb-bush-to-address-car-dealers-friday-in-sf/feed/9Jeb BushReactions to Obama’s line in the (tar) sandhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/06/reactions-to-obamas-line-in-the-tar-sand/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/06/reactions-to-obamas-line-in-the-tar-sand/#commentsTue, 06 Jan 2015 23:41:27 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28479The White House says President Barack Obama would veto legislation approving construction of the long-stalled Keystone XL oil pipeline, the AP reports. From House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio: “On a bipartisan basis, the American people overwhelmingly support building the Keystone XL pipeline. After years of manufacturing every possible excuse, today President Obama was finally straight [...]]]>

The White House says President Barack Obama would veto legislation approving construction of the long-stalled Keystone XL oil pipeline, the AP reports.

“On a bipartisan basis, the American people overwhelmingly support building the Keystone XL pipeline. After years of manufacturing every possible excuse, today President Obama was finally straight with the them about where he truly stands. His answer is no to more American infrastructure, no to more American energy, and no to more American jobs. Fringe extremists in the president’s party are the only ones who oppose Keystone, but the president has chosen to side with them instead of the American people and the government’s own scientific evidence that this project is safe for the environment. This is simply another sign that President Obama is hopelessly out of touch and has no plans to listen to the American people or champion their priorities.”

“The President should only sign bills that are good for America, but the Keystone tar sands pipeline does nothing for our country and everything for Canada. In addition, reports show the pipeline project will increase the price of gas, while the tar sands flowing through the pipeline will result in pollution that causes serious illnesses like asthma and increases in carbon pollution – the main cause of climate change. It is a puzzle to me that after a deep recession, Republicans turn to legislation that according to the State Department will only create 35 permanent jobs. Instead, Republican leadership should immediately take up the highway bill which supports millions of jobs and will run out of funding in four short months.”

“As Congress returns to Capitol Hill this week, Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader McConnell have made it clear that their first legislative priority is to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Rather than taking action to support clean energy investments that will spur innovation and create good paying jobs here at home, they have instead chosen to support the Keystone XL pipeline and the false promises made by its proponents.

“The Keystone XL pipeline is a bad deal for the United States and an even worse deal for the future of our children, our environment, and our economy. The fact remains: the Keystone XL pipeline would mean millions of tons of new carbon pollution entering the air, and could also mean dozens of newly polluted waterways and poisoned communities all across the Midwest. And despite inflated talking points to the contrary, the Keystone XL pipeline would only create 35 permanent U.S. jobs.

“The United States is at a crucial crossroads when it comes to energy policy. As a nation, we can either move forward to a pro-job, clean energy future, or move backwards towards energy policies that expand the use of fossil fuels, dump more carbon pollution, and place our long-term environmental health and economic security at risk.

“Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader McConnell have charted their course. They’ve decided to place support of their Big Oil backers above the interests of the American people—supporting a pipeline that would pump oil through the United States and out to foreign countries around the world. Their top priority is building the Keystone XL pipeline—essentially doing the bidding of a foreign company that will build an oil pass-through to the global market that dangerously cuts through the heartland of our nation.

“It’s time to stand up to the corporate polluters, protect the health and safety of the next generation, and reject the Keystone XL pipeline.”

“It’s becoming more clear by the day that President Obama rightly recognizes this dirty and dangerous tar sands pipeline is a bad deal for our country.

“Meanwhile, the Congressional Republicans who are preparing to use their very first vote to push the agenda of the oil and gas executives who helped elect them are wasting everyone’s time yet again. The decision to approve or deny Keystone XL has always belonged to the President alone, and he has now made it clear that he’ll reject attacks on that authority. President Obama has also said he’d oppose the tar sands pipeline if it contributes to the climate crisis. He has all the evidence he needs to know that it does and reject Keystone XL. Sierra Club activists around the country are ready to applaud and support him when he does.”

“The president made the right call. What’s needed now is for him to kill the dirty tar sands pipeline outright.

“As promised, the GOP leadership in Congress wants to play pipeline politics with our future. The president is focused on a single question: Is the tar sands pipeline in the national interest?

“It’s not. It would pipe some of the dirtiest oil on the planet through the breadbasket of America so most of it could be shipped overseas. It’s not a plan to help our country. It’s about big profits for big oil – and big pollution for the rest of us.

“On principle, the president is right to put the national interest first. It’s not the role of Congress to short-circuit the legitimate process of presidential review designed to ensure the best outcome for the country.

“All evidence makes it clear: The tar sands pipeline is a bad idea. It needs to be denied.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/01/06/reactions-to-obamas-line-in-the-tar-sand/feed/5John BoehnerBarbara BoxerAn Ellen Tauscher v. Karl Rove smackdownhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/an-ellen-tauscher-v-karl-rove-smackdown/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/an-ellen-tauscher-v-karl-rove-smackdown/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 23:13:17 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28188You can be in the audience as Ellen Tauscher, the former East Bay congresswoman and under secretary of state, has a policy discussion with GOP strategist and super-PAC-master Karl Rove, the former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, on Thursday, Jan. 22 in Concord. “This unique pairing will offer [...]]]>

You can be in the audience as Ellen Tauscher, the former East Bay congresswoman and under secretary of state, has a policy discussion with GOP strategist and super-PAC-master Karl Rove, the former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, on Thursday, Jan. 22 in Concord.

“This unique pairing will offer insights about the political landscape and its impacts on the economy both nationally and regionally,” according to a “save the date” email sent Thursday by the East Bay Leadership Council. The event will be held at the Hilton Concord, 1970 Diamond Blvd., but further details and registration are not yet available.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/an-ellen-tauscher-v-karl-rove-smackdown/feed/1Tauscher v. RoveBrown, lawmakers seek disaster declarationhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/09/02/brown-lawmakers-seek-disaster-declaration/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/09/02/brown-lawmakers-seek-disaster-declaration/#commentsTue, 02 Sep 2014 23:12:27 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=27637Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday requested a presidential major disaster declaration for California, as communities in Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties continue trying to recover from the South Napa earthquake on Aug. 24. “Economic impacts of this event will be extensive. The earthquake caused significant damage throughout the region,” Brown wrote in a letter sent [...]]]>

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday requested a presidential major disaster declaration for California, as communities in Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties continue trying to recover from the South Napa earthquake on Aug. 24.

“Economic impacts of this event will be extensive. The earthquake caused significant damage throughout the region,” Brown wrote in a letter sent to the White House on Tuesday. “This incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments, and supplemental federal assistance is necessary.”

Such a declaration from the president would trigger the release of federal funds to help communities recover, and an executive order Brown signed Tuesday provides additional financial aid to local agencies and nonprofits so residents can replace important documents and access key services without footing added costs or other burdens.

The region’s voices in Congress, led by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, echoed Brown’s call with their own letter to President Obama. “It is clear to us and local authorities that a major disaster declaration is critical to helping our state recover and rebuild,” Thompson’s letter reads.

Federal relief funding might include Federal Emergency Management Agency money to help people to rebuild and repair housing, and for local communities to repair public infrastructure; and Small Business Administration loans for businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, inventory, and supplies. Homeowners and renters may also be eligible for SBA loans to repair or replace disaster-related damages to homes or personal property.

FEMA does not provide for assistance if there is another option in place, like insurance. Those affected by the quake should contact their insurance companies first to see what benefits, if any, their plan provides.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/09/02/brown-lawmakers-seek-disaster-declaration/feed/1What they’re saying about the House budget votehttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/04/10/what-theyre-saying-about-the-house-budget-vote/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/04/10/what-theyre-saying-about-the-house-budget-vote/#commentsFri, 11 Apr 2014 00:38:51 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=26415Angry words flew hot and heavy today as the House voted 219-205 to pass a Republican-drafted budget that promises balance within a decade by making sweeping cuts throughout government and eliminating health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The nonbinding framework isn’t likely to be followed up by specific spending legislation, as it’s DOA [...]]]>

Angry words flew hot and heavy today as the House voted 219-205 to pass a Republican-drafted budget that promises balance within a decade by making sweeping cuts throughout government and eliminating health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

The nonbinding framework isn’t likely to be followed up by specific spending legislation, as it’s DOA in the Democrat-controlled Senate. But that didn’t stop critics from emptying their rhetorical cannons today.

“For the fourth consecutive year, House Democrats have stood united against Republicans’ broken budget priorities. But House Republicans have now fully embraced the destructive values of the Ryan Republican Budget – a road to economic ruin and an irresponsible assault on seniors, students, women, families and our future.

“Today, Republicans voted to raise taxes on middle class families with children, while giving $200,000-plus tax breaks to millionaires. They voted to destroy three million jobs over two years, while protecting tax breaks for corporations shipping jobs overseas. They voted to end the Medicare guarantee for our seniors, ransack the education of our children, and surrender our global economic competitiveness. With this budget, Republicans have voted to hollow out the middle class and dismantle the American Dream.

“Democrats have a better plan: create jobs, strengthen the middle class, invest in the future, reduce the deficit, and build an economy that works for everyone. We should be renewing emergency unemployment insurance, raising the minimum wage, and passing comprehensive immigration reform that will grow our economy, empower small business, spur innovation, and reduce the deficit by nearly $900 billion. Republicans’ backwards priorities are the wrong path for our nation, and unworthy of the American people.”

“My focus is on finding long-term solutions to reduce the unbearable burden of debt we have placed on future generations. Right now we are more than $17 trillion in debt, meaning each man, woman and child is responsible for over $55,000 each. The out-of-control spending must be stopped and replaced with responsible choices that give real solutions and certainty to families in the Central Valley.

“I will also keep up the fight to protect our seniors, who have seen their Medicare plans cut by more than $300 billion under the Affordable Care Act. Because of the cuts, I introduced the Seniors’ Right to Know Act, which informs the more than 14 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage nationwide about how the Affordable Care Act is affecting the healthcare plans they rely on every day. We cannot allow the healthcare law to stand in the way of us keeping our promise to our seniors.”

“The Democratic Alternative Budget raises the minimum wage to $10.10, which would lift nearly 1 million Americans out of poverty.

“It also expands the Earned Income Tax Credit, and for the millions of Americans still struggling to find a job, it extends the critical lifeline of Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which House Republicans have refused to consider. Our alternative protects Medicare, eliminates the sequester, and includes comprehensive immigration reform, which the Congressional Budget Office says will lower our deficit by $900 billion.

“Finally Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that some of my Republican colleagues have shown interest in cutting poverty in this country; however, we have starkly different opinions on how we achieve that goal.

“Gutting programs is not a path out of poverty! The American people deserve a fighting chance for a middle class life. They deserve better than this Republican budget.”

“This reckless spending plan will kill jobs, end the guarantee of Medicare for America’s seniors, raises taxes on middle-class families while rewarding the wealthy and corporations that ship jobs overseas, gut our education system and make college more expensive for hard working families. The American people deserve a better path forward – one that shrinks our deficit and strengthens our middle class by creating jobs, cutting spending and asking everyone to pay their fair share. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a responsible budget that grows our economy and gets our fiscal house in order.”

From White House Press Secretary Jay Carney:

“Today’s vote illustrates once again that the House Republicans’ view of the economy is a top-down approach that cuts taxes for millionaires and could raise taxes on middle class families with kids by an average of at least $2,000.

“If the budget the House Republicans voted for today was enacted and its deep cuts compared to what the President has proposed fell across the board, within a few years, more than 1.1 million people could lose access to job training and employment services, more than 600,000 students could lose Pell Grants that help pay for college, and approximately 170,000 children could lose access to early-childhood education. Critical investments in our roads and bridges and scientific research to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s also could see drastic cuts. And rather than expanding health coverage for all Americans and making it more affordable, the House Republican Budget would repeal the Affordable Care Act, raising health care costs on families and businesses and eliminating coverage for millions.

“The President believes we need to grow the economy from the middle-out, not the top down, and expand opportunity for all hardworking Americans. Rather than once again putting forward a top-down approach, House Republicans should join the President and Democrats in taking steps that would strengthen the economy and create opportunity, like raising the minimum wage, extending emergency unemployment insurance, advancing paycheck fairness, and passing bipartisan immigration reform.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/04/10/what-theyre-saying-about-the-house-budget-vote/feed/4Fremont teen’s film featured at White Househttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/28/fremont-teens-film-featured-at-white-house/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/28/fremont-teens-film-featured-at-white-house/#commentsFri, 28 Feb 2014 17:34:09 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=25998A Fremont teen’s short film was featured today at the first-ever White House Student Film Festival. Irvington High School sophomore Tiffany Lin’s film, “Discovery,” uses stop-action animation to show how technology can inspire and advance students. Lin’s is among 16 films selected from more than 2,000 entries. Her film was placed in the “Young Visionaries” [...]]]>

Irvington High School sophomore Tiffany Lin’s film, “Discovery,” uses stop-action animation to show how technology can inspire and advance students.

Lin’s is among 16 films selected from more than 2,000 entries. Her film was placed in the “Young Visionaries” category; other categories are “Future Innovators,” “World of Tomorrow,” and “Building Bridges.”

The festival for K-12 students showcases the power of technology to boost learning and the Administration’s commitment to bringing America’s classrooms into the 21st century with high-speed internet and cutting-edge educational technology. The winners’ films were screened at the White House today, presented by Kal Penn, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, and American Film Institute President and CEO Bob Gazzale. Conan O’Brien addressed the students by video.

President Obama is using the occasion to highlight progress on his ConnectED goal of transforming American education by connecting 99 percednt of students to next-generation broadband and wireless technology within five years.

Obama also announced $400 million in new private sector commitments from Adobe and Prezi to make free software available to teachers and students to help introduce creative learning materials to classrooms all across the country and help realize the promise of e-learning.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/28/fremont-teens-film-featured-at-white-house/feed/0California guests at White House state dinnerhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/11/california-guests-at-white-house-state-dinner/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/11/california-guests-at-white-house-state-dinner/#commentsWed, 12 Feb 2014 00:21:32 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=25754Several Californians will be among the many dozens of diplomats, dignitaries and guests at tonight’s White House state dinner for French President Francois Hollande: Director and producer J.J. Abrams of Pacific Palisades, and wife, Katie McGrath Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, and her guest, Barbara Jordan NBA player Jason Collins of Los Angeles and his [...]]]>

Several Californians will be among the many dozens of diplomats, dignitaries and guests at tonight’s White House state dinner for French President Francois Hollande:

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/11/california-guests-at-white-house-state-dinner/feed/2California wine to be served at White Househttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/10/california-wine-to-be-served-at-white-house/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/02/10/california-wine-to-be-served-at-white-house/#commentsTue, 11 Feb 2014 01:11:16 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=25744The White House has just issued its menu and program for tomorrow’s state dinner with French President Francois Hollande, and it features a North Bay winner. Among the wines to be served at the dinner will be a 2011 “La Proportion Doree” (“The Golden Ratio”), a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes from [...]]]>

The White House has just issued its menu and program for tomorrow’s state dinner with French President Francois Hollande, and it features a North Bay winner.

Among the wines to be served at the dinner will be a 2011 “La Proportion Doree” (“The Golden Ratio”), a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes from Sonoma County produced by St. Helena-based Morlet Family Vineyards.

Per the vineyard’s website, co-owner Luc Morlet “represents the fourth generation of a French winemaking family” from Avenay-Val d’Or in the Champagne-Ardenne region of northeastern France.

The dinner will be followed by a performance by R&B legend Mary J. Blige. See the whole menu, after the jump…